Microbiome Data Scientist (Full-time Contractor)

Tiny Health; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Tiny Health in the United States is seeking a data scientist passionate about early-life gut health to join our team and help shape the future of microbiome science. You will collaborate with microbiome experts and report to the Head of Science to lead data-driven research, analyze complex datasets, and contribute to publications and product development.

Ideal candidates have advanced degrees, strong stats and ML background, proficiency in R or Python, and experience with microbiome data.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in a relevant field (data science, computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, microbiology).
• 3+ years of full-time relevant experience after a Master's, or 0–1+ years with PhD.
• Strong background in statistics, machine learning, and data visualization.
• Proficient in R and/or Python; SQL experience and large datasets preferred.
• Experience with microbiome data analysis (e.g., 16S, shotgun metagenomics) desirable.
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal; remote-friendly.

Responsibilities

• Analyze microbiome data (taxa abundances, diversity metrics, functional genes) to support research questions.
• Develop and maintain novel microbiome metrics and biomarkers using statistical and machine learning methods.
• Conduct statistical analyses of longitudinal clinical data.
• Prepare data visualizations, reports, and presentations for stakeholders and publications.
• Draft research protocols, statistical analysis plans, and clinical study reports.
• Work independently across multiple projects in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Support development of new product and study concepts.
• Contribute to scientific publications, proposals, and internal knowledge-sharing.

Skills

Statistics

Machine Learning

Data Visualization

R

Python

SQL

Communication

Independent work

Education

Master's or PhD in a relevant field

Tools

Git

Jupyter

Job description

About Tiny Health

Tiny Health is advancing lifelong health, from the first 1,000 days to the last, and addressing chronic disease through precision microbiome science. Founded in 2020 and built by microbiome scientists and physicians, our testing platform reveals whether your microbiome is trending toward resilience or imbalances using shotgun metagenomics, proprietary AI, and one of the world’s largest longitudinal datasets. Trusted by families and health practitioners alike, our research‑backed gut and vaginal tests are redefining the microbiome as a cornerstone of personalized health through every life stage. Learn more at tinyhealth.com and poweredbytiny.com.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a data scientist who is passionate about early‑life gut health and excited to help shape the future of microbiome science. You’ll work closely with microbiome experts and report to the Head of Science to take on data‑driven research, analyze complex datasets, and contribute to scientific publications and product development.

What You’ll Do

• Analyze microbiome data (taxa abundances, diversity metrics, functional genes) to support key research questions

• Develop and maintain novel microbiome metrics and biomarkers using statistical and machine learning methods

• Conduct statistical analyses of longitudinal clinical data

• Prepare data visualizations, reports, and presentations for stakeholders and publications

• Draft research protocols, statistical analysis plans, and clinical study reports

• Work independently across multiple projects in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment

• Support development of new product and study concepts

• Contribute to scientific publications, proposals, and internal knowledge-sharing

Qualifications

Required

• Master’s or PhD in a relevant field preferred (e.g., data science, computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, microbiology)

• 3+ years of full‑time, relevant experience following completion of a Master’s, or 0‑1+ years of relevant experience with a PhD.

• Strong background in statistics, machine learning, and data visualization

• Proficient in R and/or Python; experience with SQL and large datasets preferred

• Experience with microbiome data analysis (e.g., 16S, shotgun metagenomics) is highly desirable

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal

• Self‑motivated, organized, and able to work independently in a remote‑first environment

Preferred

• Previous experience in a fast‑paced startup environment

• Work experience in DTC health/wellness companies

• Experience working remotely, with proficiency in Slack

• Leverages AI in daily tasks while also understanding where its blind spots

• Self‑directed, proactive, and comfortable with ambiguity

How we work

• A mission that actually pulls people in
  Most people here could be doing something easier. They’re not, because this work makes the microbiome measurable and actionable at every life stage — and the results land on real people who write in to tell us that we are life‑changing to them. That feedback loop is the perk. It’s not just a job.

• Remote‑first, real overlap
  We’re a very diverse, international team, although we only hire FTEs in North America. Core hours are 9am–6pm CST, shiftable by up to two hours either way — start at 7am or 11am, wrap at 4pm or 8pm. Pick your window; just be findable in it.

• Written first, huddle second, meet last
  Default to a clear Slack post: say whether you need a decision, an approval, or nothing at all. When a thread starts ping‑ponging, jump into a huddle — ten minutes of voice beats forty of paragraphs. Meetings are the expensive option, so each one needs a decision to make, a preread or strawman sent ahead, and only the people who can actually make that call.

• Fast, but never sloppy
  We ask “how do we do the two‑month thing in two weeks?” — and then we check the work. We’re a health company: results, science, and anything a customer or practitioner touches get a second set of eyes, always. Moving fast and being careful aren’t in tension here; shipping errors isn’t speed, it’s rework.

• Shape what we build, not just how we build it
  There’s no playbook waiting for you — you’ll write it, and that’s most true the more senior you are. Ideas get judged on whether they’re executed right, not on who raised them, and the person closest to the problem is usually the one who should be proposing the fix. Bring the alternative, not just the objection.

• Day One mentality
  Fewer titles, fewer layers, fewer moving parts. Real process exists where it counts — data, lab, science, compliance, money — and we follow it, but process is a guardrail, not a destination. Process bloat is never the reason something didn’t ship.

• No hidden agendas
  Transparency mean you’ll always understand how decisions are being made, especially at the top. We spend less time on politics and more on impact. Numbers, misses, and hard calls get shared openly. Feedback works the same way: in real time, not stockpiled for a review cycle. It’s a no‑surprises culture: you should always know where you stand, and if you don’t, ask.

• High standards, genuinely fun people
  Our CEO has been described as goofy but serious, direct but likable — and that sets the temperature. We take the work seriously and ourselves much less so. High‑performing and fun to be around isn’t a contradiction; it’s the hiring bar.

• Is this pace for you?
  We’re a venture‑scaled company on a steep trajectory, and the pace is part of the job. There’s no deep bench to absorb the overflow, which is exactly why the scope here is bigger than it would be anywhere else at your level. We protect flexibility fiercely — more than half of us have kids — and ask for intensity in spikes, not as a constant grind. There’s no defined ladder. Perform, and you’ll move faster here than anywhere else.

Our Values

1. Learn Fast, Get Better - Find the root cause, not just the fix, and get better every time

2. Be Relentlessly Resourceful - Dig for the answer, move fast, and know when to ask for help

3. Think Like an Owner, Act with Urgency - Act like it’s your company, and do whatever it takes to win

4. Act with Honesty and Empathy - Say what’s true, and say it with care

5. Delight People by Anticipating Their Needs - Solve the problem, then get two steps ahead of it